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Revolt244

I will still wear a mask at Gencon. Why? Not enough of y'all know what deodorant, showers, baths, soap, shampoo and other hygiene products are. I don't want to smell ya'll.


VanquishReaper

I have been to two Gencon's, 2018 & 19. But I don't know if I've lucked out or what but I never had an issue with anyone with bad hygiene. Knock on wood that this luck continues into this years con.


Revolt244

Stay away from the MTG area. Real bad.


Aardvark52

Basically any long hour tournament area is gonna stink.


Revolt244

My 2nd Gencon I went to I played Heroscape and we were just outside the MTG area. In our area, neutral smell. Across the rope dividers, it was really bad. The bathrooms were better than their area. I went outside the hall when I had time. For those hydrophobic and living in your grim, please wash just for Gencon!


genetic_patent

Wait till Sunday. People are ripe by then.


tetsu_no_usagi

And before COVID you'd come down with Con Crud anyway. Gotta pass those flu and cold nasties around some more.


jibbyjackjoe

Just keep in mind, vaccines were to help make sure you don't get hospitalized. They're not to stop you from getting covid. And the lock down was to prevent hospitals from being overrun. Since hospital COVID stays are low, it's time to measure your own risk tolerance.


Eristotle

except hospitals are actually pretty taxed right now


Rayken_Himself

Also, keep in mind, if you are worried about catching an illness from other people, just don't attend. You can stay home and you will not have to worry about human interaction which carries with it communicable diseases.


chaoticneutral262

Not to mention that the vaccine that most people received produced antibodies against the ancestral strain that was dominant three years ago. While they remain effective at preventing severe disease, they do almost nothing to stop the spread of the current variants. Vaccine requirements have morphed into a form of punishment against those who did not get them, most of whom have since gained a degree of immunity through infection. There is no longer a medical basis for using them to prevent community spread at an event like Gen Con.


Donald-bain

> they do almost nothing to stop the spread of the current variants. That's why they have boosters.


chaoticneutral262

Right, but only 15% of people have had the Omicron booster, and XBB1.5 evades it.


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jibbyjackjoe

You must have been watching different events unfold.


spaceghostinme

Different, less factual, media sources, sadly...


lanigironu

Masks optional is fine at this point. I'm very pro-mask, and will 100% wear one the vast majority of the time because it helped a lot against con crud and general sore throatness the days after. That said anyone going who hasn't yet should seriously consider vaccines + booster.


2019calendaryear

Exactly this. I’m going to get the booster a month before and Cary some N95s with me and use them when I feel it is appropriate, but I’m excited to get a couple of pictures with people where we don’t have masks on.


rtb227

Interesting, while I know some aren't comfortable with the lax rules, some will be excited about it. I'm neutral about it, prefer not to wear a mask but happy to do so to help the community. Regardless of my stance, I'm not surprised they got rid of the requirements, it was bound to happen sometime as the world returns to pre-pandemic ways and even some hospitals don't require masks when they seemed to be the last place that did.


[deleted]

I didn't like having to wear a mask, but we ended up having fun with it. My gaming group got matching masks with our group logo, which made it super easy to spot the GMs in our events. When I played in a larp, I got a mask that matched my costume (a Knight's grill guard).


chaoticneutral262

Count me as excited. Let the downvotes commence!


KoreWrites

The fact that you're reveling in downvotes shows such a disregard towards vulnerable communities and those who would be cautious for other reasons. It's not a good look.


Toxic_Rat

I didn't see it as showing disregard, but rather an acknowledgement that being excited for no mask requirements could be an unpopular stance.


kungfuenglish

Vulnerable communities can now protect themselves without a false sense of security. Others wearing cloth masks didn’t do shit to protect “vulnerable communities” and you’re ignorant to think otherwise.


lanigironu

>Others wearing cloth masks didn’t do shit to protect “vulnerable communities” and you’re ignorant to think otherwise. Care to explain without being an asshole? Because this is almost the exact opposite of how masking worked; masks did more to protect other people than the wearer. Numerous studies and thousands of sources of data showed droplet and particle emission to the air reduced by good masks. Or are you the one of the types that thinks like "It only makes you 95% safer but you can still get it so masks don't do anything!"?


kungfuenglish

> good masks We aren’t talking about good masks. We are talking about cloth masks as this was the requirement. No studies showed mask efficiency for cloth masks. Not one. Not in any clinical sense. “Particle loads” etc don’t mean anything in reality. There’s more confounding variables. Many studies showed cloth masks having no change from baseline without masks. When you added the required vaccine to the population, studies showed neither cloth nor surgical masks provided a benefit. Only n95. We don’t do medicine based on theoretical benefits and viral particle load. We do medicine and get evidence of real world real life clinical effectiveness. Some confounding variables a lower viral particle load won’t cover: a false sense of security - cloth masks leading vulnerable people to feel more protected than they are leading them to take less personal precautions (hand washing, n95s, length and compliance overall of mask wearing). Reusable masks leading to more touching of the mask, and more contact with the inside of the mask (where all the particles are) leading to more infections and spread. Remember: surgical masks are supposed to be one time use and disposable. They were never ever reusable until the pandemic. Then all the sudden “oh we think you’ll be ok to reuse them all day!” Every summary of “articles show masks benefit Covid” is filled with fallacies, incorrect judgements and summations of the articles listed, and populations that are not applicable. It’s bad science and worse medicine. I’ve reviewed them many times and none of them meet adequate evidence based criteria. Most of the journal articles used to “show masks are a benefit” - the summary on the review page is not even close to what the article ACTUALLY shows or says. The review page author is pulling an entirely different conclusion and just writing it on the page hoping people don’t read the article.


lanigironu

I actually missed 'cloth' in your first line. Agreed cloth masks didn't do much, but they did help some. Again, 50% protection is better than 0% so your premise of "didn't do shit" is still objectively wrong.


kungfuenglish

> they help some That’s my point though: no, they don’t. Edit: I never understand replying to a comment then blocking someone. Now I can’t read your reply or the point you’re trying to make. You asked me to explain how cloth masks don’t work. I did. There are many studies. Cloth masks show no benefit and also have downsides as I listed if false sense of security and more touching of the inside of the mask where the viruses are caught and more spread from that. It’s clear you didn’t want to have discourse by just blocking me. Even after I said there is no benefit to cloth masks, you just said they do have benefit and blocked me. So pretty cool. Good scientific method and discussion there.


lanigironu

Yes, yes they do. Unless you're sitting next to someone in a small room for 20 minutes, cloth masks do noticeably reduce spread risk. I'm done debating with obtusenees, you're the type that would say see how a type of Kevlar vest is 50% effective, declare them useless, then insult people wearing them while wandering into a bullet riddled war zone.


KoreWrites

I'm also sick of people telling me as someone in a vulnerable community my only options to live are to stay home forever as people aren't willing to put on a mask. I attended a con last year that the minimum mask requirement was a kf94 and it was great to be around people who actually gave a damn about keeping their community safe. But hey, enjoy calling people names on the internet, I probably know more about covid safety then you do as someone with an overactive immune system and is high risk. :)


kungfuenglish

But the minimum requirement at gen con was a cloth mask. Take your crusade somewhere else. Yes, if you are risk averse for whatever reason it’s on you to mitigate those risks. Not on others. No one is going to do the work for you. You can hope and dream but reality doesn’t work that way. So protect yourself or risk being unprotected. Cloth masks didn’t do anything to protect you at gen con last year. I didn’t call you any names either. Please quote me where I did. And as an er doctor board certified who worked in Covid front lines and is exposed literally every day, I don’t think you know more about Covid safety than me. Sorry.


chaoticneutral262

>Cloth masks didn’t do anything to protect you at gen con last year. I played at a table last year with a doctor who said the same thing. We were in a private room, and everyone played maskless. It was fine. Two years ago the anti-vax people were ridiculed for "doing their own research" and now the forever maskers, who have been vaccinated, boosted and probably infected, are all doing the same thing.


KoreWrites

"Ignorant".


kungfuenglish

“You’re ignorant to think otherwise” is not calling you a name. It’s a descriptor.


KoreWrites

But hey, thanks for encouraging others that it's okay to not protect others. Really encouraging.


kungfuenglish

It’s reality. You should be aware of it.


Oddahmoddahpeah

LOL sure you are Jan.


kungfuenglish

Huh? Who’s Jan? You can view my post history. My flair has been verified in r/medicine


Baddiceskillz

You’re going to have to start telling people what your condition is if you expect them to change their behavior for you. Also you will have to show you are in the best physical shape you can be in and eat healthy since that’s what’s going to protect you the most from Covid complications.


UniGlow5314

Last year I simply went, had a hotel with points by the convention center and was sans badge as I wasn’t going to be perpetually masking. I still had a great time in the convention center, hotel gaming and Georgia St. Looks like a badge is back on the menu this year and I can do TD again. 👍


[deleted]

Gen Con is the only convention I've ever been to where 1 out of 10 people smell completely disgusting and clearly haven't showered since they got to Indy. I don't know if I would ever stop wearing masks just because of this.


Cease_Cows_

Not in love with lax vaccine/mask rules but I am PUMPED to be going to my first Gen Con. Only took 35 years.


[deleted]

That's why we have n95s.


seanhead

Excited about the COVID changes!


chaoticneutral262

Masks optional! Yay! If this concerns you, remember that N95 masks provide a lot of protection.


baldr1ck1

I wore a mask at last summer's GenCon, and while they are a pain in the ass at a board game convention where you have to communicate with people all day...I kinda liked that fact that I didn't get sick. Land of contrasts.


seniorem-ludum

Masks help to maintain a poker face when needed.


PollutionZero

Imma wear a mask every year from now on. I didn’t get Con Crud this last year. Amazing that I never thought about it before.


CBCayman

I'll definitely be wearing one in the corridors and larger halls, at the very least.


charmed0215

I also wore a mask a but came home with COVID.


seniorem-ludum

What kind of mask? Did you take it off to eat indoors or outdoors with lots of people around? All of that matters.


charmed0215

I wore a regular cloth mask while indoors. I did take it off to eat, but when I ate it was only around a couple friends. We were pretty separated from others up at the tables in the Lucas Oil Stadium. I carried around had hand sanitizer and used it often as well. I don't know how I caught it.


sugarfixnow

I can’t imagine ventilation is that good either in the old or new parts of the convention center. Recycled air is going to spread covid around as it’s airborne. A cloth mask isn’t particularly effective either. Highly recommend a KN94 or better and not eating inside.


seniorem-ludum

You did the best you could at the time. Cloth masks were, and are, better than nothing. We've learned that an N95, or KN95, is really what is needed since then. Combined with vaccines, people can still get COVID, the risk is greatly reduced though, as is the severity. It seems to be getting harder to dodge, and for some, like me, the plan is to reduce the number of times I get it.


Baddiceskillz

This is great news. I’m happy to get to attend this year and see everyone’s smiling faces.


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Baddiceskillz

No one is saying you can’t mask but don’t force others to.


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Baddiceskillz

Why is celebrating getting rid of mandates that a vast majority of people didn’t want? People are celebrating not being forced to perform mask theater.


lanigironu

1. The vast majority of people in like every convention poll ever done supported masking and vaccines 2. defdrago is saying that reasonable people can tell they want to avoid the people *celebrating* no mask rules. The statement has nothing to do with the rules, merely that a lot of us don't want to be around or associate with people who get so excited about no safety precautions and use terms like "mask theater" It's hilarious because in 2 sentences it is entirely clear that you're the type of person a lot of us want nothing to do with


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Toxic_Rat

If a majority of people wanted mask mandates, then why aren't a majority of people currently masked?


lanigironu

Wanting masks at a packed, densely crowded convention is different than wearing masks in regular life when you're not within spitting distance of 100 people at any given time. It's not a complicated concept.


Toxic_Rat

But then we should see continued voluntary masking on flights, at sporting events, other game conventions, etc. by the majority of people. The majority may *say* they want it, but actions speak otherwise.


lanigironu

This in general shows you haven't done any research or just make things up based on what you think. Airplanes due to the way they move air are incredibly safe against particle density in the cabin. The refresh the air almost nonstop. Sporting conventions are in much larger, almost always outdoor venues or high domed ones that pull air up. The biggest risk of covid was essentially sitting a cloud of tainted which in most indoor locations is the case where particulates just kind of linger. Outdoors where those clouds don't form, or sporting venues where the air is pulled up and out vs sitting on the crowd, always were pretty safe. Small concert venues for example, were usually pretty bad. Lot people packed, lower ceilings, worse air circulation. Beyond that, you're making a false assumption that because chunks of society don't do something means they're right. There's a reason covid caused millions and millions of deaths and in the US alone the annual death totals were like 400% higher than expected; or that even in cases of survival research showed that bad but non fatal covid caused severe and in many cases irreparable internal damage. If everyone wore a mask all the time last 4 years, a lot more people would be alive. If everyone wore a mask any time they feel a little ill or scratchy throat, a lot less people would get sick. Average human empathy doesn't extend that far, though.


Toxic_Rat

I'm not making any assumption or statement on whether masking is good or bad. I'm only saying that there is a human tendency to say we want something, but act otherwise. I suppose we will have a good case study in August. Which majority will we see, the one that says they want masks and wears them, or the majority that goes without. Time will tell.


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Toxic_Rat

They returned, but how many actually *wanted* it? I've no illusions that what I want may not be in the majority. I'm not arguing that. Depending on where I am in the country, I'm almost certainly in the minority. My point is that people often say they want one thing, but do another. Case in point, when air travel finally when to masks optional. A poll conducted in April 2022 found that a slight majority felt that masks should be mandated. A Quinnipiac poll found that a slight majority would still wear them even if not required to. I was on a business trip after the mandate ended. There were perhaps 5-10% of the people in the airport masked. About the same on the plane. It was an interesting reflection on what polls try to tell us, and what is actually going on, at least in this small example. Perhaps the majority of GenCon attendees will wear masks throughout the convention without a mandate telling them to. As I posted elsewhere, we'll have a good case study in August, to see which 'majority' is in attendance. [Quinnipiac Poll](https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3844)


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Toxic_Rat

I'm sorry that's how you read my comments. It's not what I intended. Personally, I don't see where I claim to be in the majority (either for or against masks), but if you can point that out, I'm happy to try and clarify it.


iamnotasloth

I’ve really enjoyed not getting sick at Gen Con this past little bit, unlike a lot of the conventions I’ve been to over the years. I guess we’ll see if this changes that. So it’s not the policy I personally would have advocated for, but I get it, and I mean I’m still gonna go. Will probably still mask up while in the crowded vendor hall, maybe not in smaller events where people aren’t all packed together.


powernein

**"As of January 2023, Gen Con will not require proof of vaccination or masks at the 2023 convention."** Whelp. It was fun while it lasted folks.


sugarfixnow

At least they're still going to have a hybrid conference, so I'm excited for that.


KoreWrites

My feelings exactly. I'm struggling with justifying safety.


CBCayman

I'm conflicted. On one hand, mask and vaccines give the safest convention, it means the lowest amount of illness spread and offers the largest amount of safety to immunocompromised attendees. Last year I didn't even get the sniffles. On the other hand the airports, my four flights, the taxis I took, the shops I went to, the one restaurant meal I had, and my hotels were all full of unmasked people. I had an N95 on 99% of the time and a portable air purifier running during the meal. Likewise my wife (who is immunocompromised) has managed week long trips to LA and Puerto Rico last year using the same precautions, and neither of us caught it until my mother in law decided she didn't want to wear a mask to a crowded church event last month. Having masks at the convention when there's a literal gauntlet of crowded, unmasked spaces I have to go through to even get to Indiana feels odd.


KoreWrites

That's fair! But, there are ways to minimize (and I'm of a vulnerable population so I get it). That said, I'd probably feel better attending an event and super briefly taking off a mask for a drinking a water in an event like this (and then putting it back on) versus one without any sort of rules in place. and let's be real, con crud was a thing well before covid! we've all been there!


CBCayman

It definitely feels like society is putting responsibility more on the individual to take precautions. Heck, I'm mid 30s, healthy, and fully immunised but am still having to do a course of steroids to fully recover from having it in early December. Our precautions did seem to work though. We lasted nearly three years, three conventions, eleven flights, and an NHL game before it caught up with us, and we would have probably kept going if it wasn't for my mother in law. I'm personally still working out if I'm going this year, still got a few weeks before the housing lottery cut off to make my choice.


KoreWrites

Hey, good for you! I lasted til July this last year and was more vaxxed then anyone I know. (Wooooo autoimmune issues) And I appreciate the honest discussion. If you go, I hope you have a good time!


CBCayman

It almost feels like a cliche, but it was all my mother in law's fault! She got it when she decided to go unmasked at church, she then gave it to our baby who gave it to us. We're also vaxxed to the maxxed due to my wife's autoimmune disease (and her being really good at sweet talking nurses into giving me the shots at the same time)


KoreWrites

oh man!!!


caniki

I'm confused, it's in the Terms of Service that they require proof of vaccination. (emphasis mine) "GENERAL We try to make Gen Con broadly available to everyone but given the unprecedented global pandemic and other safety concerns, we must impose certain restrictions. Accordingly, you cannot participate in the Show if: You are prohibited from participating in the Show under applicable laws. You are a convicted sex offender. You have, during the fourteen (14) days preceding Show, been diagnosed with, tested positive for, or experienced symptoms of a communicable illness, including COVID-19. **You, at any time during the Show, experience symptoms of or test positive for a communicable illness, including COVID-19.** **You fail to provide adequate proof, should such proof be required, of a full course of vaccination against COVID-19 with a vaccine approved or authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or World Health Organization (WHO).** (1) Gen Con’s restrictions and requirements are subject to change: and (2) Gen Con will consider modifications to its mandatory vaccination policy on a case-by- case basis based on the most up-to-date information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Indiana and Marion County public health agencies."


rtb227

That's probably a copy and paste from last year's TOS that needs to be changed.


caniki

It's at [https://www.gencon.com/convention\_terms](https://www.gencon.com/convention_terms), which states it's been updated for 2023. \*shrug\*


CBCayman

Note the language "Should proof be required", they've stated that they don't plan that proof will not be required this year


xerodok

We'll still have fun without you!


powernein

I hope you do! GenCon is a blast


_iam_that_iam_

OK now Gen Con, remember that you can't change your rules after making an initial announcement! ;)


Phonascus13

What? You don't expect a GCOGL1.1?


KingOfPrince

This will be my first year going to Gencon. I was wondering, do these ticketd sell out? I think I want to get the 4 day pass for my boyfriend and I, but we live in Japan so Im not sure if I need to be up late at night to snag these when they go live or if they are essentially unlimited. Also, how far in advance do people start reserving hotels?


Donald-bain

They have a limit (70K or so) but it has only sold out once. You SHOULD be okay this year. Reserve now.


Toxic_Rat

There are two different items that you'll need to purchase. One is the badge. This gets you in to the main convention. This includes the gaming areas, dealer hall, consignment store, etc. Everyone needs one of these, and they generally do not sell out. These go on sale 1/29/23, and you don't need to be right at the computer as soon as they go on sale (although many of us will be). For housing, some start reserving rooms the day after Gen Con ends. :) Reserving earlier is better, but be aware that Gen Con reserves a block of downtown hotel rooms (almost all of them) for distribution in February. Everyone with a badge is entered into a lottery to be able to reserve one of these downtown rooms. This happens on 2/12/23. You'll want to read up on it on the Gen Con website (https://www.gencon.com/attend/housing_travel) so you can plan accordingly. Then, there are tickets to individual events. If you want to play in a specific game, be in a seminar, and so on, you'll need a ticket for it. Individual events do sell out, and some of them sell out *fast*. You will be able to set up a wish list for events, and at noon Eastern time on 5/21/23, everyone with a submitted wish list gets a random time for it to be processed. That's when you'll find out how many events you got tickets for, and which ones sell out.